Developing Smartphone App To Help Those Affected By Flint Water Crisis

A new smartphone app could help those affected by the Flint water crisis. (Credit: University of Michigan)

Google is partnering with the University of Michigan’s Flint and Ann Arbor campuses to launch a smartphone app that could help residents of Flint, Michigan, affected by the water crisis there. Hopes are that the app can make it easier for those impacted to navigate the many issues caused by lead contamination of the city’s water.

The smartphone app will be available for Android devices and is expected to be launched in the summer. It may have capabilities for letting residents know whether their homes are at high risk of having lead-contaminated water, or provide resources to help residents find water filters or lead testing advice.

A team of students at the University of Michigan – Flint has already developed a prototype of the app. Experts at Google and the university’s Ann Arbor campus are working with them to add mapping features and predictive analytics, as well as a refined user interface.

Top image: A new smartphone app could help those affected by the Flint water crisis. (Credit: University of Michigan)